Road-map exhibitor



Beg, 16, i924.

W. R. TAVERNETTI ROAD MAP EXHI B I TOR Filed Aug. ll, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet Mmmm. Q

Dec, M5, V924.

W. R. TAVERNETT! ROAD MAP EXHIBITOR Filed Aug. ll, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y the invention is Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

WALTER B. TAVERNETTI, 0F SALINAS, `ALIFOBNIA.

ROAD-MAP EXHIBITOR.

Application led August 11, 1823.- Serial No. 656,883.

State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road- Map Exhibitors, of which the following is a specification.

v 'Ihis invention relates to changeable exhibitors and has particular reference to a device for exhibiting road maps to the driver of a vehicle when. making trips.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of the above kind which embraces the desired qualities of simplicity and durability of construction, as well as eiliciency in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a changeable exhibitor for road maps of the double reel and web type, wherein improved means is provided for moving the .web or map strip.

Other objects will appear as the nature of better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing a map exhibiting device constructed in accordance with the present invention and operatively associated with a casing containing gear reduction mechanism adapted to be driven in a manner similar to the driving of speedometers.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the exhibiting device.

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of the device shown in Figure 2, with the adjacent sid wall of the exhibitor casing removed, an

Figure d is a rear elevational view of the device shown in Figure 2, with the rear wall of the casing removed.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the present invention embodies a substantially rectangular casing 5, the top wall of which is provided with depending bearing brackets 6 having a reel 7 journalled therein, and from which the web or road map 8 is unwound. The casing 5 is provided with removable walls for permitting access to the citizen of the United States, residing interior thereof. @ne of the shafts of the reel 7 projects through one side of the caslngwhere it is provided with a knob 8 by means of which the reel may be turned for wmdmg the map backward if ever found necessary.

The front wall of the casing 5 has a. transparent panel 9 through which the map strip may be observed as shown in Figure 2, and this map passes upwardly from the reel 7 around a guide roller 10 where it is suitably journalled at the top of the casing adjacent the front wall of the latter. The map strip passes downwardly behind the transparent panel 9 from the guide roller 10 to and around a further guide roller 11 which is suitably journalled at the bottom of the casmg adjacent the panel 9 as is clearly shown in Figure 3.

A pair of spaced bearing brackets 12 of special form are rigidly secured in the bottom portion of the casing 5 behind the roller 11 and this bracket 12 is provided with an upwardly and forwardly inclined longitudinally slotted arm 13 having an entrance slot 14 extending laterally from the upper end of the longitudinal slot which is noted at 15. A driving roller 16 is suitably journalled in and between the bracket 12 beneath the arm 13 and in alignment with the slot 15 thereof, and this roller projects through one side of the casing 5 where it is provided with a knob 17 for its manual operation if found desirable.

A second reel 18 is provided in the casing 5 and has a shaft 19, the ends of which project into the elon ated slot 15 of the bracket 12 as shown in igures 3 and 4. The map strip 8 is adapted to be wound upon the reel 18 as shown in Figure 3, and the portion of the map strip which is wound upon this reel is yieldingly urged into contact with the periphery of the driving roller 16 by means of leaf springs 20, which are preferably fastened to the rear wall of the casing and hook over the ends of the shaft 19. Obviously the reel 18 may be removed by passin the ends of the shaft 19 outwardly throng the lug 14 of the bracket arm 13, and it 1s also apparent that in order to secure a more positive drivin action for the rollers 16, the latter will e'provided with a covering of rubber or the like for preventing slippage of the same relative to the portion of the road map which is wound upon the roller 18.

In order to prevent the unwinding of the map too freely of the map from the `reel 7 rotation of the latter is resisted in the proper direction, frictionally,'by means of a sprm brake 21, which frictionall engages the ree 7 or the shaft thereof, as s own'in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 1, the driving roller 16 may be suitably actuated at the required speed by means of iiexible shafting 22 having one end connected detachably as at 23 .to the shaft of the roller 16 and having its other end operatively connected to a speed reducing gearing (not shown) the casin of which is generally noted as at 24.- The exible shafting 22 will of course be connected to the drivenelement of the reduction gearing and the driving element of the latter maybe operatively connected by means of a flexible shafting 25 with the front steering and supporting wheel of the motor vehicle in any suitable manner, such as is at present practiced in connection with the driving of speedometers.

The device above described can be set or fastened at any place on the instrument board B of the vehicle or on the steering post so that the driver can readily observe the map as it is moved during the forward travel of the vehicle. The map or guide strip moves downwardly as indicated by arrows in Figure 3, toward the driver, and an vindicator 26 is provided upon the panel 9 near the bottom of the casing tov indicate the particular part or point on the map at which the vehicle is located durin its travel.l This is accomplished by proper y proportioning the scaling of the map and the speed at which it is driven. Thus, the driver is pro-V vided with knowledge of the road for several miles ahead of the point where he is located and besides being valuable as a guide by giving the names of laces and pomts of interest, the map may e illuminated by a small shaded light so that the map will be readily visible when travelling at night over strange highways for advising the driver beforehandlof the approach to dangerous curves, railroad crossings and the like.

From the foregoing description itis believed that the construction and operation as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without departing Afrom the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

In a double reel and web road map exhibitor, a casing of substantially rectangular formhaving a front wall provided wlth a transparent panel throughwhich the map is to be viewed, a pair of bearing brackets depending from and supported by the top of said casing, a reel vjournalled in said brackets and adapted to initially receive the map thereon, means for frictionally resistin unwinding movement of said reel, guide ro 1ers at the top `and bottom of said casing directly behind said transparent panel and about which the map is adapted to be `led from the said reel, a pair of spaced bearing brackets rigidly mounted in the bottom of the casing and having a driving roller journalled therein, means for driving of said roller, arms projecting upwardly from the last named bearing bracket and having longitudinally elongated slots aligned with the shaft of the driving roller, a receiving reel having aA shaft with its ends disposed in elongated slots of the bracket arms whereby the receiving reel is free to move toward the driving roller, and yieldable means associated with the ends of the shaft of the receiving reel for urging the latter toward said driving roller, whereby the portion of the map wound upon the receiving reel is in driving contact with the periphery of said driving roller.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WALTER R. TAVERNETTI. 

